Foot therapy device



June 4, 1935. L. F. RUcKER 2,003,392

FOOT THERAPY DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 18, 1932 ATTORNEY,

Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 18, 1932, Serial No. 587,200 Renewed July 28, 1934 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in therapeutic devices.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved electrically operated device for 5 treating the human foot.

Another object of theinvention is to provide an improved device for stimulating the blood circulation in the foot and for strengthening the muscles of the foot.

A further object of the device is to provide novel means to induce a flow of electric current through each foot of a patient and including other means to induce a ilow of current from one foot to the other.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection vvith the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of my improved device.

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the device with the bottom plate removed and,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have indicated my improved therapeutic device generally at I0. As shown the device I comprises a housing I2 which includes end members I3 and I4, sides I5, a top plate I6 and a bottom I1. The various portions of the housing I2 are preferably made of an electrical insulating material such as wood, a ber composition, Bakelite, etc.

Positioned on the top plate I6 I provide a pair of spaced foot plates I8 and I9 and a pair of spaced heel plates 20 and 2l. These plates are made of an electrical conductive material and I preferably use zinc. The foot and heel plates may be secured to the top plate I 6 in any desired manner but in Fig. 4 I have shown the plate I8 as secured to the top I6 by a bolt 22 which is riveted to the plate I6, and which has a nut 23.

rlhe plate I8 is provided with an electrical contact terminal 24, the plate I9 with a terminal 25, the plate 20 with a terminal 26 and the plate 2l with a terminal 21. The terminals 24, 25, 26 and 21 may be made similar to the securing bolts 22 and also serve to secure their associated plates to the top I6.

Within the housing I2 I provide a lamp casing 28 in which I provide an electric light bulb 29 mounted in a socket 30 which includes electric Contact terminals 3| and 32. In the top plate I6 above the bulb 29 I provide an aperture 33 55 which is closed by a transparent plate 34.

Also within the housing I2 I provide a casing 35 in which I provide a rheostat 36, a fuse block 31 and a sliding switch 38.

The rheostat 36 includes an electric resistance coil 39 having one end thereof electrically connected to a terminal 40, a Contact track 4I having a terminal 42 and a contact arm 43 which is secured to a shaft 44. The shaft 44 extends upward through the top I6 where it has secured thereto a knob 45 which is shown as including a pointer 46 which coacts with a graduated scale 41.

The fuse block 31 includes a fuse clip 48 having a terminal 49 thereon and a fuse clip 5D having a terminal I thereon. The fuse clips 48 and 50 are adapted to be electrically connected by a fuse 52 which may be of any desired type.

The switch 38 includes a plurality of positive contacts 53, 54, 55 and 56 and a plurality of negative contacts 51, 58, 59 and 60. rl'he positive contacts are adapted to be electrically connected by a contact bar 6I and the negative contacts are adapted to be electrically connected by a contact bar 62.

-The contact bars 6I and 62 are mounted on opposite sides of a block of electrical insulating material 64 having a handle 65 which extends upward through an aperture 66 in the top plate I6.

In one position of the block 64 the contact bar 6I electrically connects the positive contacts 53, 54 and 55 vand the contact bar 62 electrically connects the negative contacts 51, 58 and 59.

In the other position of the block 64 the bar 6I electrically connects the positive contacts 53, 54 and 56 and the Contact bar 62 electrically connects the negative contacts 51, 58 and 60.

The device is shown as adapted to be electrically connected to a suitable source of electrical energy by a contact plug 61 which is electrically connected to a positive wire 68 and a negative wire 69. The positive wire 68 is connected to the terminal 49 of the fuse clip 48 and the negative wire 69 is connected to the contact 51. A wire connects the terminal 5I oi the fuse clip 56 with the terminal 40 of the rheostat and a wire 1I connects the rheostat terminal 42 with the light socket terminal SI. The light socket terminal 32 is connected by a wire 12 to the Contact 53. The contact 54 is connected by a wire 13 to the terminal 25 of the foot plate I9 and the contact 55 is connected by a Wire 14 to the terminal 24 of the foot plate I3 and the contact 56 is connected by a wire 16 to the terminal 21 of the heel plate 2l.

The contact 58 is connected by a wire 11 to the terminal 26 of the heel plate 20 and the conn through the bulb 29 to the terminal 32.

tact 59 is connected by a wire 'I8 to the terminal 2l of the heel plate ZI and the contact 60 is connected by a wire 'I9 to the terminal Ziel ofl the foot plate I 8.

In operation when it is desired to have electric current ow through each foot the operator moves the switch block 66 to the right as shown in Fig. 3 and turns the rheostat to the low position and connects the plug 6l with a suitable source of electrical energy. The operator or the person whose feet are to be treated then places his bare feet on the plates I8, I9, 20 and ZI in a position so that the heel of one foot rests on the plate 20 and the heel of the other foot rests on the plate 2l. The operator then turns the rheostat up until the desired amount of current is passing through the feet.

When the switch block 6d is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the electrical current passes from the negative wire 68, through the fuse 52 to the rheostat coil 39, through the contact arm I3 to the contact track @I and thence through the wire lll to the terminal SI of the lamp socket and From the lamp socket terminal 32 the current flows through the wire I2 to the contact 5ft and thence through the contact bar 6I to the contacts 5I l and 55. From the contact 54 the current flows to the plate I9 and thence through one foot of the person being treated to the heel plate 2i from which it passes through the wire 'I8 to the contact59. From the contact 59 the current ilows through the contact bar 62 to the contact 51 and thence through the negative wire 69 back to the source of supply.

From the contact 55 the current fiows to the plate I8 and thence through the other foot of the person being treated to the heel plate 20 from which it passes through the wire TI to the contact 58 and then through the contact bar 62 `to the contact 51 from which it returns to the source of supply through the negative wire 69. From the foregoing it will be apparent that a flow of electricity is directed through each foot of the person being treated. This flow of current through the feet stimulates the circulation of blood in the feet and strengthens the arch muscles of the feet.

For treating a persons ankles to strengthen the muscles thereof it is desirable to direct the flow of electricity in one foot, through the persons body and out through the other foot.

When it is desired to treat the ankles a persons feet engage the plates` L8, I9, 20 and 2l in the same manner as previously described, but the switch bar Sil is moved to the left in which position the contact bar 6I bridges the positive contacts 53, 54 and 5E and the contact bar 62 bridges the negative contacts T, 58 and 60. When the switch 38 is in this position the current ows from the positive contact 53 through the contact bar 6I to the contact 513 and thence through the wire 'I3 to the plate I9 the same as previously described, but instead of the .heel plates ZI being connected to the negative side of the line it is connected by the wire 'I6 to the positive side of the line thereby making both the plate I9 and the plate 2l positive. Thus the current passes into the right foot of the person being treated, through his body to the left foot and thence through the plate I8 to the Wire 'I9 to the contact 60 and through the contact bar 62 to the contact 58 from which it returns to the source of supply through the negative wire 69. At the same time some of the current passes through the heel plate and the Wire I'I to the contact 58 and through the contact bar 62 to the contact 5l.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a novel therapeutic device which is simple in construction and highly efcient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a therapeutic device, a base made of insulating material, a pair of toe plates secured to said base, a pair of heel plates secured to said base, said heel plates and toe plates being made of electrical conducting material and being arranged in adjoining pairs with the heel plates spaced from the toe plates, said base having a cavity therein, a switch disposed in said cavity, said switch including a last named base, said base having four pairs of opposed contact members thereon, a circuit closing member adapted in one position to bridge three pairs of contact members and a plurality of leads connecting said contact members to said heel plates and to said toe plates in such fashion that when the circuit closing member is in one position it will cause current to ow from each heel plate to each toe plate when the same are connected and whereby when the circuit closing member is in another position it will cause current to ow from one pair of adjacent toe and heel plates to the other adjacent toe and heel plates when they are connected.

2. In a therapeutic device, a source of electrical energy, a base of insulating material, a pair of toe contact plates, a pair of heel contact plates, said pairs of contact plates being mounted in fixed spaced relation on said base, a switch mounted on said base, said switch including a plurality of fixed terminals and a movable member cooperating with said terminals, and leads from said switch terminals to said plates, whereby in one position of said movable switch member the plates will be energized to cause a potential diierenoe between each toe plate and its adjacent heel plate, and in another position of said movable switch member the plates will be energized to cause a potential diierence between the toe plates and between the heel plates.

LEONARD F. RUCKER. 

